On Tuesday – the last day Akin could legally request his name be removed from the November ballot – the congressman set out on a bus tour of the state. His move defied calls from a number of Republicans and GOP groups - including his state's Republican party - to quit the race, concerned his continued candidacy would challenge their chances of winning control of the Senate.FULL POST

(CNN) - Rick Santorum evoked the homespun values of hard work, education and family in his speech to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, but his math needs improvement.

The former Pennsylvania senator and runner-up in this year's GOP race criticized President Barack Obama during his convention speech for what he called a belief "in government handouts and dependency."

Tampa, Florida (CNN) – Rick Santorum offered his most high-profile praise of former rival Mitt Romney during a speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday evening.

The former presidential candidate – who engaged in a prolonged and sometimes bitter battle with Romney before dropping out of the race in April – spoke highly of Romney and vice presidential nominee, House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan.FULL POST

(CNN) - Rick Santorum, who at one point was Mitt Romney's top rival for the GOP presidential nomination, officially released his delegates Friday and encouraged them to back Romney at next week's Republican National Convention.

"I am pleased to share the news with my supporters that I am releasing my delegates in support of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan so we can go in to next week's convention united and committed to defeating Barack Obama in November," Santorum said in a Friday statement. "This is our opportunity to energize our party with a strong, conservative ticket. I look forward to making the case on Tuesday night for Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan, because I believe their conservative policies will put our country back on a path to prosperity."FULL POST

(CNN) - Rick Santorum, who himself waged a bitter fight with Mitt Romney during this year's GOP primaries, said Sunday that a sharp turn to the negative in the general election fight between Romney and President Barack Obama is a product of divisive rhetoric from the president and his team.

"I don't get the sense that Gov. Romney is complaining about the negative attacks, but he will tell you as much as anyone else, you are in a political race and you are going to take the blows and go after each other," Santorum told CNN national political correspondent Jim Acosta on "State of the Union."FULL POST

(CNN) - Republican attacks against the Obama administration's changes to the way states administer welfare programs continued Thursday, though leading surrogates for Mitt Romney seemed less certain than when the attacks began that the changes would definitively end welfare's work requirements.

Speaking on a conference call organized by the Republican National Committee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum would only say that the changes would "potentially" gut the work requirements, a charge President Barack Obama's administration denies.FULL POST

(CNN) - Rick Santorum, who emerged as Mitt Romney's fiercest competitor for the Republican presidential nomination, will speak at the Republican National Convention, a senior GOP official tells CNN.

The former Pennsylvania senator is one of four Republicans including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, who will be announced Tuesday as primetime convention speakers. They join seven others who Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announced Monday would address the convention.

"Wil is exactly what Washington, DC needs – an outsider beholden to no one other than the Arizona residents he hopes to represent," Santorum said. "We look forward to helping him become not only the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, but Arizona's next U.S. Senator."FULL POST

(CNN) - Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania defended Mitt Romney's recent overseas trip for its overall strength Tuesday and stated he expected to receive a speaking slot at the upcoming Republican National Convention.